Sally Webster

sallymead@teleport.com

The hardest part of writing a bio is deciding to tell or not to tell…………

After High School, I went to San Diego State and in my second year, I met Jerry Stryker and we were married in September of 1963. I went to work for Bank of America in San Diego in June 1963, and worked until May of 1967. We headed to Flagstaff, Arizona, where my husband completed his Masters Degree at Northern Arizona University. We returned to San Diego in September, where my husband was a teacher at Clairemont High School and coached baseball and basketball. In April 1968, we were blessed with a beautiful son, who has brought nothing but joy into my life over the past 32 years. In October 1971, my husband and his family (Mother, Father and only Brother) were killed in a plane crash in San Diego. At this time, my wonderful parents and my three-year-old son gave me the will to keep going. I moved back to El Centro, lived with my parents for a year, and got my career going again with Bank of America.

During my 30-year career with Bank of America, I felt like I was in the Military. I moved 10 times in a span of 25 years. Having an ability to turn offices around that were in trouble and get them operating efficiently in a short period of time, I was transferred all over southern California. Each assignment was a new challenge but more importantly, a promotion and opportunity to meet new people.

In 1983, Bank of America was starting a new Division called Private Banking. Private Banking was designed to take care of the very, very rich. I was selected to be the second Administrative Officer in Private Banking in California and had the opportunity to open the Palm Springs Private Banking Office and the Rancho Mirage Private Banking Office. In 1989, I was transferred to Newport Beach and became the Vice President/Orange County Regional Senior Administrative Officer. I had the responsibility of Newport Beach Private Banking Office, South Coast Private Banking Office and Rancho Mirage Private Banking Office. I did a lot of traveling. In 1993, I was transferred to Private Banking Administration -South in downtown Los Angeles. I had administrative responsibility for all California Private Banking Offices. In 1994, I accepted the position of Vice President/Regional Administrative Officer of the Westside Private Banking Regional Office. I was responsible for Century City Private Banking Office, Beverly Hills Private Banking Office, Beverly Hills International Private Banking Office and the Westside Century City Trust Office. I moved from Newport Beach to Manhattan Beach in 1994.

In 1988, I married John Ehrhardt. John was in the medical field and worked at Fairview Hospital in Orange County. He owned a second home in Palm Desert and we met through playing Tennis. After a long career with Bank of America, I left the Bank in 1996. John retired and we moved to a new home in Palm Desert. John and I purchased a new motorhome and decided to travel around the United States. We went to all the states on the outer perimeter and were gone for 5 months. We had a wonderful time and the trip was a great experience.

In 1997, I was hired as a consultant for a large Janitorial Company. I re-structured the Company to improve productivity and profitability. I also wrote and implemented the company salary program and wrote the company employee handbook. I completed this job in January 1998. I was offered a permanent position with the company but elected not to take it.

For the last six years I have been a care provider to my parents. My Dad became a quadriplegic from Post Polio Syndrome and was completely bedridden for the last five years of his life. He passed away in my desert home in June 1997. In July 1997, I took my Mom on a trip and soon realized that something was wrong with her. When we returned to Palm Desert, we learned that she had had several mini strokes and was into the beginning stages of Dementia. My goal for the last four years has been to take care of her at home. Being a care provider for my parents has been one of the toughest challenges of my life physically, mentally and emotionally.

This past December 2000, My Mom and I were in Lake Tahoe for the holidays and my Mom became very ill. She is in the Tahoe Forest Hospital Extended Care Center in Truckee, California. That is where I have been staying, so that I can visit her every day. I don’t know if I will ever be able to bring her back home to Palm Desert, but no matter what happens I will be with her in Truckee as long as she is there. (I can’t believe I will be staying in Truckee---no Macys, Robertson-May or shopping centers---how will I ever survive???)

My son, Jay, graduated from San Diego State University and married his high school sweetheart. They live in the beautiful town of Santa Barbara. They have given me two wonderful granddaughters, Taylor and Jaymie, who are the joy of my life.

In closing I can say---I have had a good life, which has been blessed with wonderful parents, a terrific sister, a wonderful son and daughter-in-law, two beautiful granddaughters, a successful career, and a few husbands along the way, and most importantly, I had all of you as classmates!! See you all in October and remember--- Life is about 10% how you make it, and 90% how you take it. It’s not how old you are, but how you are old!!!!